The Arizona softball team easily extended its Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium record winning streak to 64 games last night with a 13-1 thumping of Boston College.

Sophomore pitcher Jenny Gladding (11-2) danced around a second inning in which she allowed three hits - including a solo home run to Boston College's Elyse Meredith - to win her ninth consecutive start in the five-inning contest.

After spotting the Eagles a run, UA (24-2) bounced back in the bottom half of the inning when freshman pinch runner Carrie Hagen stole second and was able to score after consecutive errant throws by the Eagles' catcher and center fielder. After a walk and back-to-back singles loaded the bases, junior shortstop Lovie Jung delivered a sacrifice fly to right to give UA a 2-1 lead.

The Wildcats broke the game open with a nine-run third inning keyed by the wildness of BC pitcher Kim Ryan (1-5).

Freshman outfielder Allyson Von Liechtenstein followed three straight walks with an RBI single to center, and when Ryan's fourth walk of the inning pushed across another run, Jung stepped to the plate with the bases full for the second time in as many innings.

This time, the leadoff hitter drilled the first pitch she saw into the left-field bleachers to give the Wildcats an 8-1 lead.

"They were throwing me all in to start my at-bats so I was looking for it, and she threw it in," said Jung, who finished the night with five RBI.

The Eagles (3-11) then went to the bullpen, but it made little difference to the UA hitters.

Three batters later, sophomore designated player Leneah Manuma stepped to the plate with two batters aboard and launched her team-leading 14th home run of the season just beyond the left-center field fence.

With a double-digit lead, Gladding went into cruise control over the final two innings and finished the game scattering just four hits while striking out six.

Senior first baseman Jennie Finch put the game further out of reach in the bottom of the fourth when she lined a two-run double just to the left of the 1991 NCAA Championship banner on the left-center field wall.

"We came out a little slow, but I knew we were gonna swing the bats sometime and it happened," said head coach Mike Candrea. "It was another good outing for Gladding, and Mackenzie (Vandergeest) is doing a real good job with her behind the plate."

The sophomore catcher also helped out her pitcher by gunning down two BC runners at second base during the first two innings. UA's solid defense continued as they closed out the contest with back-to-back running grabs in the outfield by freshman center fielder Crystal Farley and Von Liechtenstein in left.

The Wildcats will finish their two-game series with Boston College tomorrow night at 6 p.m. at Hillenbrand Stadium.

After deciding to redshirt her freshman campaign at the beginning of the spring, pitcher Marissa Marzan has taken a leave from the team in order to concentrate on academics.

"Temporarily, she has left the team for personal reasons," Candrea said. "Se will continue to go to school and work on the things she needs to work on academically."